Perche
Perche () (French: ''le Perche'') is a former Provinces of France, province of France, known historically for its forests and, for the past two centuries, for the Percheron draft horse, draft horse breed. Until the French Revolution, Perche was ...
Orne
Orne (; or ) is a département in the northwest of France, named after the river Orne. It had a population of 279,942 in 2019.France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. The municipality was established on 1 January 2016 by merger of the former communes of
Bellou-sur-Huisne
Bellou-sur-Huisne (, literally ''Bellou on Huisne'') is a former commune in the Orne department in northwestern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Rémalard en Perche.Dorceau and
Rémalard
Rémalard () is a former commune in the Orne department in north-western France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Rémalard en Perche.Natura 2000
Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectiv ...
conservation area, called the
Forêts et étangs du Perche Forêts et étangs du Perche translated as the Forest and ponds of Perche is a Natura 2000 conservation area that is 47,681 hectares in size.
Geography
The area is a vast ecocomplex with a strong dominance of forest habitats, but also containing ...
.
Points of interest
*Boiscorde Arboretum is a 15-hectare
arboretum
An arboretum (: arboreta) is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees and shrubs of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, many modern arbor ...
featuring over 500 trees.
*La Petite Rochelle is a 1 hectare
botanical garden
A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is ...
, open to the public which is classified as a classified as '' Jardins remarquables'' by the
Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to:
* Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania)
* Ministry of Culture (Algeria)
* Ministry of Culture (Argentina)
* Minister for the Arts (Australia)
* Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan)Ministry o ...
and the Comité des Parcs et Jardins de France.
*Carrière de la Mansonnière is a
Natura 2000
Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectiv ...
conservation site measuring 0.17 Hectares. The site is a former quarry, used between the middle ages and early twentieth centaury which now hosts five varieties of bats, listed in Annex 2 of the
Habitats Directive
The Habitats Directive (more formally known as Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora) is a directive adopted by the European Community in 1992 as a response to the Berne Convention. The ...
, which are the
Lesser horseshoe bat
The lesser horseshoe bat (''Rhinolophus hipposideros'') is a type of small European and North African insectivorous bat, related to its larger cousin, the greater horseshoe bat. As with all horseshoe bats, the species gets its name from its dist ...
,
Western barbastelle
The western barbastelle (''Barbastella barbastellus''), also known as the barbastelle or barbastelle bat, is a European bat in the genus '' Barbastella''. This species is found from Portugal to Azerbaijan and from Sweden to Canary Islands, where ...
Bechstein's bat
Bechstein's bat (''Myotis bechsteinii'') is a species of vesper bat found in Europe and western Asia, living in extensive areas of woodland.
Description
Bechstein's bat is a medium-sized and relatively long-eared bat. The adult has a long, fluf ...
and the
Greater mouse-eared bat
The greater mouse-eared bat (''Myotis myotis'') is a European species of bat in the family Vespertilionidae.
Description
''Myotis myotis'' is a large bat with a long, broad muzzle and big, long ears. The body's dorsal side is brown to reddish-br ...
.
National heritage sites
The commune has 11 buildings and areas listed as a
monument historique
() is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, ...
.
*Saint-Laurent Church, an eleventh-century church in Dorceau.
*Château de Voré, an eighteenth-century chateau in Rémalard.
*Manoir de Brigemont, a sixteenth-century manor house in Rémalard.
*Le Chatellier Castle Motte, a strategic site for
William the Conqueror
William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...
in his conquest of the Lordship of Bellême in 1077.
*Manoir des Touches, a sixteenth-century manor house in Dorceau.
*Rémalard Church, a twelfth-century church.
*Manoir de Vaujour, a sixteenth-century manor house in Rémalard.
*Voré Tilery, a former tile factory in Rémalard, thought to date from 1828.
*New Farm, a twentieth-century farm in Dorceau that was built to breed the
Percheron
The Percheron is a horse breed, breed of draft horse that originated in the Huisne river valley in western France, part of the former Perche province, from which the breed takes its name. Usually gray (horse), gray or black (horse), black in col ...
horse.
*Manoir de Boiscorde, a fifteenth-century manor house in Rémalard.
*Motte castrale dite Le Château, a raised circular enclosure on what was built a
shell keep
A shell keep is a style of medieval fortification, best described as a stone structure circling the top of a motte.
In English castle morphology, shell keeps are perceived as the successors to motte-and-bailey castles, with the wooden fence arou ...
. In 1077, this castle was under siege from William the Conqueror when his son,
Robert Curthose
Robert Curthose ( – February 1134, ), the eldest son of William the Conqueror, was Duke of Normandy as Robert II from 1087 to 1106.
Robert was also an unsuccessful pretender to the throne of the Kingdom of England. The epithet "Curthose" ...
locked himself up there.
See also
*
Communes of the Orne department
The following is a list of the 381 communes of the Orne department of France.
The communes cooperate in the following intercommunalities (as of 2025):